Perspective: The new niqab ban: not so Canadian

Perspective: The new niqab ban: not so Canadian | Tariq Azeem

Even without such a ban in existence we have seen incidents in the past couple years where Muslim women in their religious face-coverings have been attacked in public for no apparent reason.

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Medicine Hat News
By Tariq Azeem | November 10, 2017

Being an Imam of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Canada, as I hear the news about the niqabban in one of our provinces, it truly saddens me. I have always felt that Canada is a role model for the entire world, exemplifying values of tolerance and inclusiveness. Yet with this recent ban, however it may be worded, Muslim women who like to cover their faces out of modesty have directly been attacked.

Safety of our people has been stated as a reason for disallowing face-coverings. I applaud the effort for finding ways to protect our nation, but policies such as this one create divisiveness in the society. Instead of creating a peaceful environment, a wrong message is sent when one group is clearly targeted. It sends the message that every Muslim is thought of as a terrorist until proven otherwise, for this reason their religious face-coverings are to be removed.
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